His Bella
by alyssialui
Summary: This is a short Bellamort collection for a class on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a short Bellamort collection for a class on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)**_ _ **:**_ _Flying Lessons_ _\- Write about beginnings and_ _any potential dilemmas that your pairing could face in the future of the story. Prompt:_ _(location) The Astronomy Tower_

 _ **Open Category 4:** Could Be Canon - Bellamort_

 _ **The Second Competition That Must Not Be Named**_

 _ **The Weird Prompt Strikes Back! [Daily Competition]:** Write anything_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._

* * *

She stole through the shadows, her footsteps light across the cold stone floors. She couldn't afford anyone seeing her as she made the long trip from the dungeons, up the many flight of moving stairs, and eventually, to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

She pushed the wooden door open slowly, the night air blowing against her skin as she stepped out onto the highest point of the castle. She shivered as fine bumps broke out among the short hairs on her arms. She thought she would have been used to the chill, the Slytherin common room seemed to actually resist heating charms during the night, but up here was still cold enough her to pull her cloak tighter.

She walked to the edge of the balcony, her eyes running across the grounds below and the stars above. Up here was so peaceful, so quiet and so private, exactly what she needed to read her letter.

She slipped her hand into her cloak pocket and pulled out a small white envelope. She had received it earlier that morning, a common brown owl dropping it into her lap before flying out with the other mail owls. She had surreptitiously slipped it away, her eyes watching her fellow house-mates. So far, no one seemed suspicious but she couldn't take any chances. Her betrothal to the son of one of the most prestigious pureblood families (besides her own) was common knowledge among her circles, and it wouldn't bode well if they realized she was getting letters from another man.

Oh, she longed for the day when she finally graduated, when she could spread her wings and fly to stand at his right side. However, she would still perform her duty. She would still honour her family and marry her betrothed, but her heart would always belong to _him_. She would be his instrument, his weapon, to wield as he pleased, with total obedience and loyalty. Her parents would not think it was "lady-like", her husband would not approve, but she didn't care. She would do as she wanted.

But until then, she would have to be happy with his letters. She slipped a finger under the lip of the envelope, before pulling out of the white parchment within. She took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of wood and smoke which always accompanied his letters, as her eyes scanned the words he had written.

Though this was only her fourth correspondence, she had already learnt something about him - he valued his anonymity. He never signed the letter, but that didn't matter to her. There was only one person who would write her letters such as this. They were always short, devoid of any warmth or love, but full of cold, hard facts. They spoke of his grand plans, his activities on the outside, away from the walls of this dreary castle, and his instructions for her to carry out while she stayed within.

She read every word, committing them all to memory, but her eyes would always linger on two. With every letter, there was one thing she fed on, one thing she craved, one thing that made her head light and her heart race.

He always started his letters with, " _My Bella_."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Bella thought he had forgotten her._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **Flying Lessons Assignment #2 **-** consider the theme of misunderstanding. Prompts - (plot) People are watching the stars in the story,_ _(narration) She smirked._

* * *

She opened the door and stepped out into the night air, this time not even bothering to pull her cloak closer. She wanted the shiver to run across her skin and make her nerves tingle. It gave her something to feel instead of the emptiness in her pocket and in her heart.

The letters have stopped now. Every morning, she would look towards the influx of owls flying above the tables, but no new envelopes were dropped into her lap. Even when she sent her own letters, something he warned her against doing, they always came back still attached to the owl.

His letters gave her purpose, but there were no more. He had forgotten her and now, she was nothing.

She looked up at the stars, tracing the twinkling lights of her family against the velvet backdrop of the sky. The patterns were ingrained her from childhood, and it was something she often did when she was alone or sad.

She wondered where he was, and if he still thought of her. She doubted it though. He never truly needed her any way.

* * *

He drew his scarf tighter as he wavedhis wand about him, lighting his path through the forest. He had been travelling through Europe for the last few weeks, amassing his army and never staying in one place for too long. During this time, he had been out of touch with his followers, but he was sure they could manage without him. It could be considered a test of their worth, and if they did't pass, then they deserved to be disposed of.

A lonely howl was heard in the distance and he looked up at the night sky. The moon was not yet full, so werewolves were the least of his worries, but that didn't stop normal wolves from still calling out into the night.

He took a deep breath, letting the cold air sting his lungs as he was transported back in time. He remembered in his youth when he would often steal from his dormitory to stare up at the stars on a night similar to this. It gave him solace and time to think in the silence.

His thoughts drifted to the current state of the school and his followers on the inside. They were his followers in the making, helping to convert others to his side. Children made great soldiers: they foolishly thought they're invincible and they had nothing yet to lose. Once they all graduated, they would join his ranks, ready and eager to do his bidding.

The names of his recruiters ran through his mind: Nott, Avery, Malfoy and Black, the only woman in the group, but she was doing the best work. Through his own spies, he knew everything of her performance and she had made the most progress. He hadn't spoken to her in a while and he wondered how she was doing.

Within the hour, he reached a village, and as luck would have it, met a man with an owl who was easily manipulated.

* * *

She sat at breakfast the next morning beneath the flowing green and silver banners. With half an ear, she listened to the girls around her speak about their assignments and the latest trends in fashion, things that never truly interested her. Inwardly, she was marking off the days until she was out of this place. It was only a few more months until the end of the school year and then, she would be completely free.

Above her, she heard the fluttering of owls and she barely looked up, not wanting to be disappointed again. There was nothing for her, there hadn't been for a while now.

So she was genuinely surprised when a letter dropped into her lap, narrowly missing her plate of eggs and toast. There were no words on the envelope, no identifying marks, but she could practically see the smell of wood and smoke wafting off the parchment.

She tore into the letter with viguor, not even caring how obvious it was that she was never listening to Emmeline's recount of her trip to Paris last summer.

 _"My Bella, it has been too long..."_

 _It has been_ , she smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Bella gives herself completely. Warning for sexual content._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **Flying Lessons Assignment #3 **-** consider the idea of relationships moving too fast. Prompts - (colour) Cerulean,_ _(word) rapid_

 _ **Reader's Choice Awards:** Round 1 - Send someone on Holiday_

* * *

She let out a contented sighed as the first few rays of sunlight warmed her skin. The ends of her wild black curls tickled her naked back, and the soft linen felt lovely against her bare skin. Not to mention the delightful tingle still coursing through her body.

It was hard to comprehend that less than twenty-four hours ago, she had been sitting within the confines of the stone castle, listening to Professor Slughorn drone on and on about the properties of their latest assignment. She hadn't really been paying attention to man, more focused on the letter burning a hole in her pocket.

This letter had been different from all the others. Whereas, they usually spoke of his plans and her instructions to carry out among the other students, this letter only held a time - midnight.

She had spent most of the day wondering what it meant, what would be happening at that time, and what would happen after. Never would she imagine she'd be transported from the castle all together, appearing in the living room of a small cottage.

She held her breath as she moved around the small space, wondering just where she had gotten to. Gazing out the window, she studied the night sky, tracing the stars and deducing she was probably somewhere in Northern Europe, a far cry from Great Britain.

Then the door behind her opened and he entered the room. His features were angled and his eyes a glittering red in the dim light, but her heart thrummed with excitement once the smell of smoke and wood travelled towards her.

Without a word, he beckoned to her and she quickly crossed the room to take his hand as he led her into his bedroom. It was a flurry of hands and discarded clothes as he pushed her onto the bed. She had never laid with a man before, supposing to keep that gift for her husband on their wedding night, but in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to give herself to him completely.

And he took the gift greedily, his thrusts powerful and his teeth nipping at the delicate flesh of her neck and shoulders. She cried out when he first entered her, but soon the pain gave way to pleasure, and she relished in the feelings he caused and the sound he made upon finding release. With harsh breaths, he moved to the other side of the bed as she wrapped her arms around him, inhaling his lovely scent as she fell asleep.

But now, as she was waking, she realized his scent was gone. A sense of panic filled her as she opened her eyes to find herself alone on his cerulean sheets. His side of the bed was immaculately made as if he had never even been there.

How could she have been such a fool? She had wanted to meet him for so long, and when she finally did, she just gave herself away, just like that. She usually thought things through before she acted. She shouldn't have come here. She should have stayed in the castle and-

Her rapid heartbeat slowed when she noticed the folded piece of parchment on the bedside table.

 _"My Bella, I must keep moving-"_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Not everyone is happy with Bellatrix's endeavours._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **__Flying Lessons Assignment #3_ _ **-**_ _consider the idea of endurance and hardships._ _Prompts - (plot) A major argument,_ _(quote) "They dote and swoon and fawn on a lady who's withdrawn/It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man." - Poor Unfortunate Souls, The Little Mermaid_

* * *

She returned to the castle within the hour, her house-mates curious to her disappearance and sudden reappearance at the house table, but none the wiser to her actual location. She remained tight-lipped to all their prodding questions, her mind still reliving every moment of their night and her skin still tingling from the places they had made contact.

The letters became more frequent, their contents less cold and more inquiring of her personal well-being, her studies and her hopes and dreams. Never before was anyone interested in the true desires of her heart, and she was usually hesitant to share because of how dark and inappropriate they were, but he was. He valued her for who she was, and that was better than any one night with him.

But her bliss could only last for so long. Within a few days, the Easter holidays had arrived and she had jumped on the train with her sisters to spend them at home.

It was late in the afternoon when her mother stepped into her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Bellatrix looked up from the book she was reading by the window, trying to keep the curiosity from her expression. Blacks were never surprised nor unprepared, but her mother hadn't visited her bedroom since she had become a woman.

"Mother?" she asked politely marking her page with an elegant black feather before closing it.

Her mother's mouth fell as she read the title of her book - _Dark Spells: Forgotten But Powerful_. "You're still interested in the Dark Arts?" she asked.

Bellatrix bit the inside of her cheek as she put the book aside. Her mother never particularly liked her interests, preferring she was more attentive to her home duties than her personal studies.

"No matter," her mother continued with a theatrically sigh as she moved further into the room, "your marriage to the elder Lestrange will curtail such behaviour."

The pressure inside her mouth increased, pinching the sensitive flesh between her teeth. Her mother also held the archaic belief of a woman being subservient to her husband.

Her mother now stood beside her, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "Which brings me to why I have come to see you. You are only here for a few days before returning to school, and there is much to be done in preparation for the wedding. We have to get the right flowers, robes, food, decorations, and there's a only a few months left before-"

"Mother," Bellatrix interrupted, ignoring the tender spot in her cheek as she turned to her mother. "I don't think we need to rush into anything right now. There is more than enough time to prepare once the summer starts."

"Nonsense," her mother said, giving her a quick, dismissive pat, like scolding a clueless child. "If you had listened to any of the things I've said over the years, you'd know that we are already behind in our planning. Luckily, I have already started some of the things, such as the guest list, the venue, the-"

"Without me?" Bellatrix asked, her voice rising slightly.

"Ah, ah, ah," her mother said, wagging her finger. "They dote and swoon and fawn on a lady who's withdrawn. It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man. Rodolphus will have a wonderful time taming you."

"Taming?" Bellatrix asked, jumping to her feet and moving away from her mother. "There will be no taming! I am who I am, and Rodolphus will have to love me just as I am."

"Love?" her mother laughed. "Marriages aren't about love, dear. It is about duty to family and blood. Don't you believe in duty? Don't you want to make your family proud?"

"You never cared what I wanted, Mother!" Bellatrix screamed. "It was always about what you wanted, what Father wanted, what was best for our family, but never what I wanted. I don't want to be a housewife. I don't want to wait hand and foot on my husband, being seen but not heard. I want to study and explore, better my magical ability. I want-"

A sharp slap resounded around the room, halting her tirade. Tears sprung to the corners of her eyes as she stared at her mother, wanting to clutch at her face but holding her ground. After all these years of subtly acting out, she was finally voicing her thoughts and she wouldn't back down now.

Her mother withdrew her hand and said, "I see that your father and I have much to discuss about your attitude, young lady." She moved towards the door, opening it before stopping in the doorway. "Your input is no longer needed for the planning," she added. "You will remain in your room for the remainder of your stay. Meals will be brought up to you. Hopefully, this will give you much needed time to remove such fanciful ideas from your head."

Once her mother had closed the door behind her, Bellatrix moved to the mirror, admiring the red handprint on her once-perfect skin. For all her talk, all she earned was a slap for her trouble. She grabbed a handkerchief from her dresser, dabbing at the corners of her eyes while careful not to touch the stinging mark.

She penned a quick letter, leaning out the window to call for one of the family's eagle owls. It wasn't until much later, in the wee hours of the morning, did it return with a response. She untied the parchment and read it in the dim light of the hidden moon. It was just one line, one so simple but with so much promise:

 _"Leave everything to me, my Bella."_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Tom sets his plan in motion._

 _Submission for:_

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments): **__Flying Lessons Assignment #5_ _ **-**_ _think about game-playing in relationships. Prompts - (dialogue) "You still believe in me. Don't you?", "No reason to stay is a good reason to go."_

 _ **Hogwarts Writing Club Competition:** Round 8 - quartz_

* * *

He watched the moonlight reflected off the owl's wings as he thought of her letter. She seemed worried, scared even, about her future. Her parents were forcing her into a gilded cage, marrying her to some name in order to fulfill familial obligations. Long ago, she had told him her negative views on the idea, but she had also been raised right, knowing that there was no way she could abandon her duty. Blacks never shirked their responsibilities.

But he was Tom Marvolo Riddle, soon to be known as Lord Voldemort. He always got what he wanted, so he would do what he had to do to keep her at his side.

He could kill the Lestrange boy and forcibly take her as his partner, but he had experience among these circles and the consequences of that action would be... bothersome. No, this would have to be thoroughly thought out. Being a Slytherin had taught him there were better, more underhanded ways to go about things.

* * *

He pulled on his most elegant robes as he prepared for his appointment tonight. He wasn't often he made house calls, especially ones that didn't end in bloodshed and destruction, but this was the start of his plan and everything had to go smoothly.

Once he was ready, he disappeared with a soft crack and reappeared on an illustrious doorstep. Straightening his robes, he raised his right hand and knocked twice. The door opened to reveal open air before he looked down to see a homely house-elf. He grimaced, the sight of the creatures still sickening to his once sheltered mind, but he knew this was just a front to show the family's wealth.

The elf bowed low as it gestured for him to enter. "Master has been expecting you, Sir," it said as it led him across the entrance hall, the sound of its toenails echoing off the marble.

He looked up towards the chandelier, holding a myriad of different coloured quartz and gems. Many faces watched him, their expressions smug but he could see even they were wary of his presence.

Eventually, the elf pushed open the doors to a large parlour. The walls were lined in oak, the windows on the far side overlooked the massive grounds of the manor, and a large fireplace was the centerpiece. It was here Mister Lestrange rose from his seat and stepped towards him.

"Welcome to my humble abode, my Lord," the man said, bowing low before him.

Tom gestured for him to rise and he moved towards the family sitting by the fireplace. Tom's eyes ran over the older son, his body lean and upright, his face clean-shaven and his black hair slicked to the nape of his neck. Rodolphus Lestrange was a perfect, pureblood boy.

"I've heard great things about you," Tom said with as much admiration he could muster under the circumstances.

The boy gave him a nervous smile as his mother gushed, "As expected. Rodolphus has been getting excellent marks in all his studies."

"I've also been hearing about his prowess in... other aspects," Tom said, angling his brow towards the boy. "He has an interest in the Dark Arts?"

"My son is well-known in all magic," his father said. "If only they'd teach it at that horrid school."

"Yes, that school does have a way of holding people back," Tom said, his eyes falling to the ring upon his finger. Then he looked at Rodolphus and asked, "What if I could offer you a way to hone your skills?"

The boy's eyes widened, his gaze darting between his mother and father before he said, "I don't know, Sir."

"Do you have something holding you back, boy?" he asked.

The boy seemed to be thinking, his hands fumbling in his lap before he answered, "No, Sir, but-"

"No reason to stay is a good reason to go," Tom said.

"But he is so young, my Lord," his father spoke up. "He still has to finish his schooling."

"You still believe in me. Don't you?" Tom asked.

"Yes, my Lord," Mister Lestrange said, withering slightly under his gaze.

"Then trust that I can make your son legendary," Tom said before he turned back to the young man. "Join me, Rodolphus, and people will fall at your feet."

A long look crossed the boy's face and Tom held back a smirk. To these people, it was always the promise of power that worked.

"Yes... my Lord," the boy said.

* * *

A few minutes later, Tom returned to his quarters, happy with how things had progressed. The boy had been hesitant, but the right words had been said and he became putty in Tom's hands, his parents not far behind. The Lestranges were on his side, their support even firmer now that their first-born was to be fully indoctrinated into his ranks once he graduated, and their second not far behind.

Then he would get what he wanted. _Her_ parents wouldn't mind her love of the Dark Arts if her husband did. She would be 'doing her husband's will', as expected of a pureblood wife.

Tom laughed. He may not have been able to stop the marriage, but she would always be _his_ Bella, no matter what.


End file.
